“Trans identification is in free fall among the young.”

You might have seen this headline recently. Apparently, it has gone viral. Is there any truth to it? (Rhetorical question. Answer below.) The post is usually accompanied by this graphic:



Is this really telling us anything about trans identification? First note that it only includes data from three universities. Not exactly a big sample.

More importantly, it is showing only numbers for non-binary identities. There is nothing there about binary trans people, those who identify as men (FTM) or women (MTF). The surveys these data were lifted from were never intended to count trans identities, and included no provision for respondents to self-identify as trans.

When asked, the author, Eric Kaufmann, said that he just presumed that all trans people would check the non-binary box on the survey, whether they considered themselves non-binary or not. In other words, the guy is an idiot.

When I am asked on a poll or a bureaucratic form what my gender identity is, and the options are:
- man
- woman
- non-binary
- genderqueer
- other
, I am going to select "woman". If the question includes separate options for "trans man" or "trans woman", I might select "trans woman" or I might not, depending on how I think the information will be used. But I am not ever going to select non-binary, because that would be incorrect.

For more info on this alleged "study", read here: No, the Data Hasn't Shown that 'Transgenderism Is Effectively Over,' as Matt Walsh Trumpeted

 

Indeed, fear is a powerful motivator to keep your identity secret. *Sigh* That will undoubtedly skew survey results in future unless there are surprising positive developments.